Brake mechanism.



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[Application med Mar. 15, 1902,)

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Nrran STATES PA'rnN'r rrrcn.

WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, F APAW'"IUCKFYI, RHODE ISLAND.

BRAKE MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 716,775,"dated December 23, 1902'. Application led March 15,1902. Serial. No. 98,311. (No model To a/ZZ whom it 11a/tty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, a subject ofthe King of Great Britain, and a resident of Pawtucket, in the county oi' Providence andState of Rhode Island, have invented a neviT and Improved Brake Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a ro new and improved brake mechanism, .de-

x5 setting the device to any desired degree of resistance, according to the use made ofv the vehicle or machine on whichV the brake mechanism is applied.

The invention consists of novel features zo and parts and combinations of the same, as

will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings,

z5 forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of Aa .street-car on which the improvement is applied. Fig. 2 is an inverted enlarged plan View of part of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. L is a crosssection of the spring-'mounted pulley for the brake-chain. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sec- 5 tional side elevation of the'canaxle, brakedisks, brake-Wheel, and brake-band, parts being broken out;V andV Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the same.

The brake mechanism, as illustrated in the 4o drawings, is supplied to car-'axles A, carrying the wheels B and supporting the car-body C in the usual manner. On each aXle A of the car are secured the disks D, preferably two in number, and from the faces of each of the disks extend transversely the bolts E,(see

Fig. 6,) engaged under their heads by a spring F, pressing against the face of a disk G, held to slide transversely on the bolts E and compressed by the spring F against the web 5o H' of the ring-shaped brake-wheel H, extending with its curved rim H2 over the peripheral faces of the disks D and G, as plainly indicated in'Fig. 6. The rim Hzis completely encircled by a brake-band I, having its V'ends I' crossing each other and extending in oppo- 'site directions, as plainly shown in Fig. and the said ends I are connected with the outer ends of levers J, fulcrumed on the un der side ot the car-body C.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that for the two brake mechanisms on each caraXle I provide two pairs of levers J, and the inner ends of each pair are connected with each other by plates K, pivotally connected by links L vwith the casing N, supporting a pulley N and pressed on by a springO, held on the under side of the car-body C. (See Fig. e.) Over the pulley N passes a brakechainl?, also passing over guide-pulleys Q, journaled on'the car-body, to then extend in opposite directions to they ends 4of the car to connect with the drums R of brake-staffs R under the control of the attendant of the car. p The spring O normally holds the casing N and the parts connected therewith in such a position that the brake-band I is drawn tight on the brake-wheel H for applying the brakes and bringing the car to a standstill; but when it is desired to release the brakes it is necessary for lthe attendant to work the brake-stad R', so as to exert a pull on the brake-chain P to draw the casing N transversely against' the tension of the spring O. It is understood that when this takes place the movement of the casing N causes the links L to impart an outward movement to the plates K, so as to give a swinging motion to the inner ends of the levers .I to move the outer ends of the said levers toward each other, and thereby release the brake-band I on the peripheral face of the brake-wheel II. By adj nsting the bolts E the spring F is pressed with more or less force against the disk G, so that the latter clamps with more or less force the web H' between the disks D Vand G, and consequently the resistance desired to be given by the brake mechanism can be readily regulated byadjusting the bolts E previous to the car starting on its travel. It is undertood that when the brakeband I releases the brake-Wheel H then the latter rotates with the disks D and Gr as the car moves on its travel; but as soon as the operator releases the brake-staff R then the spring O and parts connected therewith cause the brake-band I to be drawn tight on the brake-wheel H, and consequently the wheel H is held against rotation, and thus offers resistance to the revolving disks D and G to finally bring the car to a standstill.

It is understood that both disks D and Gr are in frictional contact with the web H, so that when the latter is held against rotation by the brake-band I sufficient resistance is given to the said disks, and consequently to the axle A and wheels B, to bring the car to a standstill.

The levers .I extend loosely through bearings J', which also form a stop for the levers to limit the swinging movement thereof after the spring O has acted on the several parts to apply the brakes, as above described.

By the use of my device abrupt or sudden stops of the car are entirely prevented, as the brake is-gradually applied to bring the carto a standstill Within a certain distance, which can be predetermined by adjusting the bolts E accordingly to increase or diminish the tension of the spring F and the friction between the disks D G and the brake-wheel H. Thus the device can be adjusted to bring the car to a stop within one, two, or more lengths of the car, according to thegrades of the road over which the car is to travel.

It is understood that the arrangement may be reversed in such a manner that the brake is applied by the operator working the sta R', and the brake is released by the power of the spring O when the staff R' is released.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-fI l. A brake mechanism having revoluble friction disks, a brake wheel between the disks, and a brake-band engaging the brakewheel, to brake the latter, as set forth.

2. A brake mechanism having revoluble friction-disks, of which one rotates with the other, a spring mounted to move one disk toward the other, a brake-Wheel between the disks, and a brake-band engaging the brakewheel, as set forth.

3. A brake mechanism having revoluble friction-disks, of which one rotates with the other, a spring mounted to move one disk toward the other, a brake-wheel between the disks, a brake band engaging the brakewheel, and means for regulating the tension of the spring, as set forth.

4. A brake mechanism having 'revoluble friction-disks, one of which is secured to a,y

rotating part of the machine on which the brake mechanism is applied, the other brakedisk being mounted to slide toward and from the first-named disk, a spring compressing the sliding disk toward the other disk, and a brake-wheel made ring-shaped and clamped between the said disks by the spring-pressed disk, as set forth.

5. A brake mechanism having revoluble friction-disks, one of which is secured to a rotating part of the machine on which the brake mechanism is applied, the other brakedisk being mounted to slide toward and from the first-named disk, a spring compressing the sliding disk toward the other disk,a brakewheel made ringshaped and clamped be- Vtween the said disks by the spring-pressed disk, and means for regulating the tension of the said spring, as set forth.

6. A brake mechanism having revoluble friction -disks, a brake-Wheel between the disks, a brake-band completely encircling the brake-wheel and havingits ends crossing each vother and extending in opposite directions, and means for simultaneously drawing on the brake-band endsin opposite directions, to apply the brake-band on the brake-Wheel, as set forth.

7. A brake mechanism vhaving a brakewheel, a brake-band completely encircling the brake-wheel and having its ends extending in opposite directions, and spring-pressed means connected with the ends of the brake-band to draw the latter outwardly in opposite directions, to apply the brake-band on the brake- Wheel, as set forth.

8. A brake mechanism having a brakew'heel, a brake-band completely encircling the brake-Wheel and having its ends cross each other and extending in opposite directions, levers pivotally connected with the outer ends of the said brake-band, a pulley journaled on a casing, a brake-chain engaging the saidlpulley, a spring pressing the said pulley-casing, and a connection between the said pulley-casing and the said levers, as set forth. y

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY SMITH.

Witnesses:

HARRY L. WALDRON, A W. H. CRowNINsHIELD.

IOO 

